10-R009
2010 -- H 7051
Enacted 01/07/10
H O U S E R E S
O L U T I O N
REQUESTING THE
FDA AND ISSC CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE SHELLFISH INDUSTRY AND STATE REGULATORS
TO IMPROVE SHELLFISH SAFETY
Introduced By: Representatives M Rice, Watson, Naughton, Gallison, and Malik
Date Introduced: January 07, 2010
WHEREAS, The harvest and culture of shellfish have formed an
important part of Rhode
Island’s cultural heritage and economic development
for hundreds of years; and
WHEREAS, The culture of shellfish is a sustainable practice with
proven environmental
benefits providing critical ecosystem services to our marine
environment; and
WHEREAS, The sustainable harvest and culture of shellfish provide
important jobs and
economic development with economic impacts in many related
industries that are fundamental to
our state’s ocean economy; and
WHEREAS, Shellfish are
an excellent source of highly nutritional, essential, heart-
healthy fish oils, protein, and minerals; and
WHEREAS,
shellfish in the world; and
WHEREAS, The Rhode
Island Department of Health (RI DOH) and the
Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM) have
successfully worked in cooperation
with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
through the auspices of the
interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) to implement
the National Shellfish Sanitation
Program (NSSP), with the aim of improving the
monitoring, safety, and handling of our state’s
shellfish resources since the ISSC’s
inception in 1982; and
WHEREAS, RI DOH and RI
DEM have worked with the industry, the FDA, and the
ISSC to develop regulations and procedures to ensure
that our shellfish are among the safest in
the world; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That this
Island and Providence Plantations hereby respectfully
requests the FDA to continue to work
through the auspices of the ISSC in cooperation with the
shellfish industry and state regulators in
efforts to regulate our shellfish industry; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That this House hereby respectfully requests the ISSC
not to attempt to
promulgate any regulation or guidance limiting the rights of
Rhode Islanders to enjoy and
consume raw shellfish unless all other alternatives have been
evaluated and the economic impacts
of such action are fully considered; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That this House hereby respectfully requests that both
the FDA and the
ISSC inspect and evaluate
the safety of imported shellfish products with standards equal to our
domestic NSSP standards; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That this House hereby respectfully requests the FDA
to ensure that
adequate funds are available for research into methods to
continue to improve shellfish sanitation
and to provide for proper education of producers, public
health professionals, and consumers of
shellfish about the risks and health benefits associated with
the consumption of raw shellfish; and
be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is
authorized and directed to
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the
Honorable Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg,
Commissioner
of the
Moore, Executive Director
of the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference.
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LC00129
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